Man in Clifton Park car fire critical at burn center

Published 2:55 pm, Monday, August 11, 2014

CLIFTON PARK — The man who was pulled from his burning car Friday by two good samaritans is in critical but stable condition at Westchester Medical Center, officials said Monday.

"He received some pretty serious burns and he's far from out of the woods," said Saratoga County Sheriff Lt. Jeff Brown. "It's touch-and-go but I hope he makes it."

On Saturday, Adam Myers said he was puzzled when he was driving on Barney Road early Friday evening and saw a car going the other way swerving and full of smoke.

"I stopped and looked back and he went though a parking lot and burst into flames," said Myers, a recent Siena College graduate who lives with his parents in Ballston Spa.

Myers said he then sprinted about 100 yards to get to the driver. The car came to rest on the shore of Murphy's Pond, across the road from the Barney Road Golf Course.

Another passerby, town resident Mike Campanella, was already there and trying to get the man out of the car, which was engulfed in flames.

"The guy was on fire and there were gas cans inside the car near him and myself and Mike but we pulled him out," Myers said. "I put him in the water and got mud on him to put out the flames. He was really burned and seemed unconscious. It was scary with the cans right there. I was expecting the worst."

The driver was alone in the car.

Saratoga County sheriff's deputies responded and a helicopter landed on the first tee of the golf course. The injured man was flown to Westchester Medical Center, officials said.

Because of the nature of the incident, Brown said the department was withholding the man's name and not speculating on the cause.

Myers said the man had a large build and, in this case, it was lucky he was not wearing a seatbelt.

"If it was not for the other guy being there I don't think I could have gotten him out alone," Myers said. "Both of us together probably would not have been able to pull him out if he had a seatbelt on."